‘$3,500 is the next round number people will be looking at’
11 April 2025 - 08:06
byAnjana Anil and Anushree Mukherjee
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Gold prices breached the key $3,200/oz level for the first time on Friday, fuelled by a weaker dollar and an escalating trade war that sent investors rushing towards safe-haven assets.
Spot gold was up 1.4% at $3,217.78/oz as of 3.50am GMT. Bullion scaled an all-time peak of $3,219.84 earlier in the session, and has gained almost 6% this week.
US gold futures climbed 1.9% to $3,237.50/oz.
“The rapid weakening of the dollar seems to be the main driver of gold's rebound at the moment. That seems to reflect an ongoing exodus from USD-based assets, with stocks and bonds’ sell-off amid tariff policy uncertainty,” said Ilya Spivak, head of global macro at Tastylive.
The dollar was down nearly 1% against its major peers, making greenback-priced bullion cheaper for overseas buyers. Major stock indexes also fell after US President Donald Trump ratcheted up tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%, but hit a 90-day pause on previously announced tariffs for dozens of countries.
China has been matching Trump’s tariff hikes, sparking fears that Beijing could push duties on the US beyond the current 84%.
"$3,500 is the next round number people will be looking at. I suspect we won’t get there immediately or without bumps along the way,” Capital.com's financial market analyst Kyle Rodda said.
Apart from tariffs, central bank demand, expectations of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, geopolitical instability in the Middle East and Europe, and increased flows into gold-backed exchange traded funds also fuelled the metal's rally this year.
US consumer prices fell unexpectedly in March but inflation risks are tilted to the upside, data showed.
Traders now bet that the US Federal Reserve will resume cutting rates in June and probably reduce by a full percentage point by the end of 2025.
Spot silver added 0.3% to $31.29/oz, while platinum dipped 0.1% to $936.85/oz. Palladium gained 0.8% to $916.18/oz.
Support our award-winning journalism. The Premium package (digital only) is R30 for the first month and thereafter you pay R129 p/m now ad-free for all subscribers.
Gold shoots past $3,200 on dollar slide
‘$3,500 is the next round number people will be looking at’
Gold prices breached the key $3,200/oz level for the first time on Friday, fuelled by a weaker dollar and an escalating trade war that sent investors rushing towards safe-haven assets.
Spot gold was up 1.4% at $3,217.78/oz as of 3.50am GMT. Bullion scaled an all-time peak of $3,219.84 earlier in the session, and has gained almost 6% this week.
US gold futures climbed 1.9% to $3,237.50/oz.
“The rapid weakening of the dollar seems to be the main driver of gold's rebound at the moment. That seems to reflect an ongoing exodus from USD-based assets, with stocks and bonds’ sell-off amid tariff policy uncertainty,” said Ilya Spivak, head of global macro at Tastylive.
The dollar was down nearly 1% against its major peers, making greenback-priced bullion cheaper for overseas buyers. Major stock indexes also fell after US President Donald Trump ratcheted up tariffs on Chinese imports to 145%, but hit a 90-day pause on previously announced tariffs for dozens of countries.
China has been matching Trump’s tariff hikes, sparking fears that Beijing could push duties on the US beyond the current 84%.
"$3,500 is the next round number people will be looking at. I suspect we won’t get there immediately or without bumps along the way,” Capital.com's financial market analyst Kyle Rodda said.
Apart from tariffs, central bank demand, expectations of interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve, geopolitical instability in the Middle East and Europe, and increased flows into gold-backed exchange traded funds also fuelled the metal's rally this year.
US consumer prices fell unexpectedly in March but inflation risks are tilted to the upside, data showed.
Traders now bet that the US Federal Reserve will resume cutting rates in June and probably reduce by a full percentage point by the end of 2025.
Spot silver added 0.3% to $31.29/oz, while platinum dipped 0.1% to $936.85/oz. Palladium gained 0.8% to $916.18/oz.
Reuters
Oil set to drop for a second week
Stocks and dollar slip and bonds take a beating in trade war
Wall Street resumes sell-off as investors sweat tariff risks
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